Where No Man Has Gone Before.

I thought this show was intended for kind of an Elementary School level audience somehow. Quite unlike the original show. Same with all the subsequent Star Trek Universe shows-basically kids stuff-not offensive but decidedly not true SF.

Space the final frontier... This has to be my favorite TV show intro ever. Space never looked as good and magnificent as in this introduction.

This show has excellent stories although a little dull sometimes. It has some of the best episodes in the entire Star Trek universe. The new CGIs for this show make the whole Enterprise ship come alive. Mission after mission the show takes you to a different planet, different nebula, different place in the universe. Some of the stories overlap and some others are part of series with recurring characters like Q, oh how i wanted to be Q when I was a kid (i always root for the bad guys when they are interesting and smart)

I would have liked a little more phazers being fired but overall it is a great show.

One of the Most Intelligent Shows to Grace the Air-Waves

Today, we find televisions shows to be more often than not one-dimensional, and with good cause: the majority of people love one-dimensional television shows that often do not raise cerebral themes nor query the mind to life's deeper questions. The proof behind this theory lies within the usual top 10 shows here at tv.com, but I digress from this point. The main point is that Star Trek: The Next Generation is a show that is for the intelligent viewer, and shows like this do not exist in prominence anymore Themes such as humanity's purpose, galactic politics (which of course draw upon and translate to the politics of the world today), and the discovery of the unknown permeate throughout this series from episode one to episode 176.

The Next Generation follows the 24th century crew on board the Starship Enterprise D captained by Jean-luc Picard. Joining him on his discovery of the galaxy are Will Riker, Data, Worf, Geordi LaForge, Deanna Troi, Beverly Crusher, and Wesley Crusher. Each character has a unique and integral background within the show, and they help us relate to the show with various allusions to people we know and understand. Picard draws upon the persona of a French philosophe of the Enlightenment (Picard is French after all). He has a strict set of high morals which do not falter throughout the series (let's not talk about the movies) and always relies on them to make the correct, well thought-out judgments. Picard is a natural-born leader as well for he radiates self-confidence and intellect. Picard is joined by his first Commander Will Riker. Riker evolves in the series from a young and eager star fleet officer to a smart, wise, and mature "Number 1" as Picard refers to him as. We find Riker to be very cunning in his tactics not only as a commander, but also with the ladies. Many of us headstrong males can relate well to Riker in these regards. Lieutenant-Commander Data is perhaps the most interesting character in that he is an Android possessing amazing powers who would trade them all for the flaws of humanity. The security chief Lieutenant-Commander Worf is the first Klingon serving in Star Fleet, and there are times we find him having to fight his natural tendencies as a Klingon when he needs to conform to Star Fleet standards, but having been raised by humans, Worf is able to keep himself in check. Geordi LaForge runs engineering as a blind man yet with a sight-enhancing visor which allows him in some respects to see more than even the average person can. He is an every-man who always gets the job done and exceeds expectations. Deanna Troi is a half Betazoid who utilizes her gifts as the ships counselor. She understands the emotions of people so well, and sometimes I imagine myself wanting to talk to her about my meager problems. Doctor Beverly Crusher is an inquisitive and moral doctor (quite similar to Picard in some respects), and is open to new ideas in the world of medicine and even beyond in the scientific community. She is joined by her son, Wesley Crusher who is a genius comparable to Mozart-as stated in the show. His gifts serve the crew of the Enterprise in various creative ways.

Throughout the show, this unique crew chemically reacts with each other to form a new substance: that of efficiency, discovery, and righteousness. We leave this show knowing and loving this crew individually and as a whole. The genius of the show and many other shows is creating this bond with the audience and characters. Beyond that, Star Trek makes us think inwardly after we watch the show, something few shows do. The themes are very deep, even spiritual. I encourage each and every person to watch and think big about what you see. I leave you with this quote, "The human race is a remarkable creature, one with great potential, and I hope Star Trek has helped to show us what we can be if we believe in ourselves and our abilities." Gene Roddenberry, author and creator of Star Trek.

k'ehleyr

While Star Trek TNG did much to revitalise the franchise with some stunning story arcs and some fantastic standalone episodes like Yesterday's Enterprise , to name but one of many, it also made some very serious mistakes in ridding itself of brilliant characters played by great character actors and also ill served some of the shows longest running characters like Worf. Chief amongst these is Suzie Plakson's K'ehleyr, an excellent study in independence, intellect power and sexual elegance from a female Kiingon. This half human half Klingon character was the epitomy of sultry intelligent humour and savagery wrapped up neatly in this individual and one of the best realised. She was very captivating as a Federation ambassador and a great narrative lightning rod for exposing Worf's slavish adherence to Klingon tradition. She also allowed us to understand Klingon mating customs. Beyond this, there were several subsequent Klingon stories where her presence would have made a great difference. My understanding was that Michael Piller thought her death would give credence to Worf killing Duras, another very foolish mistake as it did not resolve the plot arc of Worf's dishonour. I'm sure Gene Roddenberry would have prevented this development, but I also think this decision sent the storyline into silly directions with Alexander, k'ehleyr and Worf's son, becoming a spare part that never quite worked without his mother and the conflict between modernity and tradition, something that Star Trek itself is built on.

A follow up to Star Trek

It seems at time that Star Trek-TNG goes out of it way to state that there is no God. Does this mean I will not watch Star Trek-TNG. No. There are some storylines I really enjoyed. There are some Star Trek-TNG that I have problems with. “Genesis”, “Who Watches the Watchers” "All Good Things". These are just three I will not watch.

The new Enterprise, under the command of Captain Picard, is by a mysterious omnipotent being called Q. They are put on trial as the representatives of a species of violent savages and for crimes, done by mankind hundreds of years before.

Do not get me wrong. I was a fan of TNG 20 years ago. Today i watch it with different eyes. Some things i still like, like the naivity of the concept of a united mankind (hello to all american readers), somethings i still can not stand (Will Wheaton). But as far as i can remember, only a hand of viewers liked him.
What i did not realize 20 years ago was the immense amount of bad acting in the pilot episode. Denise Crosby, lesbian archetype, security officer i presume, steadily overreacts or -overact-. unbelievable her reaction in the courtroom, when she histerically cries, that these people (mankind)have saved her planet for barbary (cant recall it precisely).
dialogues are partly simply less than intelligent. especially deanna troy remarks about q are simply stupido.
What i liked, was the Doctor Who like atmosphere in the court-room, Q in his various costumes, the medieval spectators and the Judge Dread like soldiers. In this scene, the supporting cast was much better.

The worst Star Trek show.

I have watched all 7 seasons and always hoped it would get better but the only episodes I liked where the ones that featured the Borg. Most of the time I was simply bored to tears. While I like Patrick Stewart, it is not enough to keep me engaged when the rest of the cast is forgettable, the characters Troi, Dr.Crusher and Riker being the worst.
The stories were boring or preaching and always cheesy.

Maybe I would have liked the show better if I had seen it when it came on TV years ago, but today it looks outdated.
And this has nothing to do with it being shot in the 80ies, I like the original Star Trek, so it must be something else.

I can't recommend this show to anyone, I hardly understand the fascination with it.

Boldy Going Where No Sci-Fi Has Ever Been... Star Trek - The Next Generation is one of Science Fictions proudest moments - A profound and timeless classic that endulges the immagination and inspires the soul.

There is an unspoken, unwritten moral code that unites thousands around the world - a way of living inspired by a TV show - this is that show.

Set 75 years after the original show, the Flag Ship of the Federation, Galaxy Class - Enterprise D is on the same mission as her namesake - to explore the Universe.

Their adventures vary from the introspective, to adventurous, to playful, escoteric, artistic, scientific and moralistic.

Always, though, the underlying thread is drive for the betterment of all. Now, however, there is the Prime Directive which states that the Federation cannot interfere with a pre-warp culture. There is also the Federation Charter; a set of standards and rules that the crew must abide by.

This is a Star Trek Universe that is removed from the original series. Strange life forms aren't scary monsters - just creatures with the right to live. I think it's said in one of the TNG movies that if they met Kirk or Spock they'd probably have to arrest them!

Born in the midst of the emergence of Political Correctness - TNG tackles serious philosophical issues in the guise of brilliant story telling. Conversely it also touches on the individual - giving valuable insights on every day issues.

The cast is lead by Patrick Stewart (X-Men) as Captain Jean Luc Picard. Stewart at the time was an accomplished stage actor and lends his Shakespearian experience to the callibre of the episodes. In an interview with Stewart he stated that when the filming of TNG commenced he was staying in a hotel in L.A. - he didn't bother to unpack his suitcase becasue he felt the venture wouldn't live past the filming of the first few episodes.

Stewart also commented that a mature bald British Captain, a blind man at the helm and a yellow skinned Android was an odd combination that the fans of Trek would reject.

It is Stewart however who carries the show for its first two seasons and he gains momentum up to the final 7th season. He is passionate and punctual in his portrayals. The first season was poor, however, in the boom times of the 80's they believed in giving shows like this 2 years to grab an audience and by the second season the show is vastly improved. Seaons 4 - 7 are some of the best sci-fi you'll ever see. For people new to TNG - the finale of Season 3 is the best place to start.

In the tradition of the original Trek, in TNG we are treated with countless guest stars like; Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) Leonard Nimoy (Spock) James Doohan (Scotty) Stephen Hawking, Ashley Judd, De Forest Kelly (Bones) Kirsten Dunst, Terri Hatcher and Tim Russ (Tuvok) - just to name a few.

I had doubts about this show after the first season, but during the second and third seasons, the promise of a Star Trek that rivaled the top shows on the networks came through. Long Live, Capt. Picard and his Enterprise crew!

In my opinion the best of the star trek series.

So for those of you who don't know, this show follows the exploits of the new crew of the USS Enterprise-D as they explore the galaxy and meet new life forms.

This series is in many respects far superior to the original. it takes those aspects of the original series that we knw and love and improve upon them with better special effects, more alien races and better characters.

The acting is also particularly good - especially in the later seasons when the cast have really found their feet. The plotlines are also superior to the original series with better thoughout and less political scripts.

Good show with good acting.

This was a great show to watch if you wanted some great acting, a good story, and some action. Star Trek: The Next Generation was cutting edge at the time it aired. I was way too young to watch television so I didn't catch on until years and years later. But when I started watching all of the Star Trek genres, I became a fan. My favorite character in this series would have to be Data. I found his character to be an interesting one and I thought that he was rather good at human interactivity. My least favorite character had to be Riker. I found his character to be very boring and I wish he wasn't featured as much. The show was very good and I like to watch them from time to time. Thank you.

ST: TNG is a great show...

And it's mostly due to the early seasons of the show; don't get me wrong, but even those shows were fairly good, but not as good as the later shows. The characters went through some much needed self improvements...including better uniforms.

As for this particular episode, Q is at it again, playing with humanity...

And while it was good to see some of the potentials of each characters future, I don't think it was one of the best episodes; may its because I think the writers played the Q card way too many times... but then again, I dunno. That opinion varies with my mood...

Star Trek-the Politically Correct Generation

Just over twenty years ago, when I first heard about this continuation of the Star Trek saga, I couldn't wait for it. But as time went on I became somewhat disenchanted. True, the special effects were far beyond the 1960's original, attention to the real aspects of astronomy, and hard science were much, much better than the original series, but far too many of the episodes had story lines that were weak and a little bit too touchy-feely and politically correct for my tastes. A great many of the alien races represented on the show didn't strike me as being alien at all. They behaved like feudal warlords from earth centuries ago. I think that was my biggest beef with the show, and all it's spin offs.
Feudalism hasn't been a viable political system on our world for a long, long time...couldn't a race advanced enough for star travel do one hell of a lot better? A believable alien race for me would be physiologically much different from us with a vastly different value system that that of the human race as a result of this. The writers could have done a much better job and shown much more imagination in that respect. And yes, it's true. James Kirk got laid a lot more than Jean-Luc Picard I'm afraid. Hmmm.

The continuing adventures of the Starship Enterprise. This series solidified Star Trek as one of the two most important science fiction series in the history of TV and the cinema. This series spawned three additional series and many more movies.

What does one say about one of the iconic series in the history of television. The first Star Trek series became the prequel to this series with its two seasons and many movies. There was a call from the fans to do something new within the popular Star Trek universe. The Next Generation was that new TV series.

Starring Patrick Stewart (Picard), Johnathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Troi), and Michael Dorn (Worf). This show solidified many acting careers and launched many others. Frakes became a very well thought of director of Television and Movies and you still see his name pop up from time to time. Dorn along with Colm Meaney (Miles O'Brien) went on to play in the Deep Space Nine series for another seven years after the completion of this series. Stewart who was well known to begin with went on to play the leader of the X-Men series Dr. Xavier and is an internationally acclaimed star. The Enterprise itself was the main character in this series as it seems to be in each series it is part of. The updated version of the Enterprise or the 1701-D is an amazing ship with an endless amount of possible stories to tell. In the tradition of the US Navy and the Federation of Planets the Enterprise strives to serve and protect the citizens of the many planets of the Federation. Serving with civility first with the capability of a powerful response if necessary. Data played by Bret Spiner was one of the first successful depictions of a an android, a created human like entity that can really think and learn emotions on his own.

The possibility of life in the Star Trek universe is a wonderful vision of where man might go in the future. Generally very positive without a lot of the pregidous one sees today and an acceptance of everyone no matter the differences. Sort of a Utopian view of the future but I believe that is one of the charms of the show and its writing in general.

Eventually this show brought a number of major motion pictures to the big screen and a number of other TV shows. We owe this show for the recent Abrams Star Trek motion picture and I feel this show will continue to be a catalyst for the Star Trek universe well into the future.

It's a new Starship Enterprise with a new captain and crew. Starfleet veteran Jean-Luc Picard takes his ship and crew on a series of spectacular adventures through the universe.

The first "Star Trek" spinoff series. It is also the best. A worthy successor to what I believe is the greatest science fiction series ever. The show got started on the right note with the terrific pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint." After struggling through a difficult second season (mainly because of Dana Muldaur who was good but vastly inferior to Gates McFadden) the show got back on track and stayed on course for the remainder of its run. The first rate cast and very well written scripts made this show worth watching every week. The spinoffs that followed were inferior.

Good Writing (usually), OK acting...

TNG is often praised as the cream of the crop when it comes to Star Trek series. But though it had its moments, it really didn't hold a candle to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The Next Generation was plagued by 3 things:

1) Through the first couple of seasons, it was a carbon copy of the original series. Although, with the introduction of the Borg, it laid the groundwork for the best villain in all of TV history (only to see that villain turned into CGI manikins by ST: Voyager).

2)While Patrick Stewart is ubiquitously and rightly praised for his performance as Captain Picard, often I find that the acting on this show is a little less than good. In particular, Gates McFadden (worst), Marina Sirtis (pretty bad), Michael Dorn (OK) and Jonathan Frakes (take him or leave him). Brent Spiner was good, and LeVar Burton was totally underused.

3) Deus ex Machina. All to often, God would come down on his spaceship and save the day.

Best Episode: Tie between "The Best of Both Worlds I & II" and "The Inner Light"

A masterfully created sci-fi series.

If only there were more.....Thats my opinion. I would have loved this seried to continue. I have the dvd`s, I watch from the beginning to the end. This is one of the greatest Sci-Fi series to ever hit the screen. Every episode showed a moral value. Kinda like a modern day Little House on the Prairie. I have watched every single episode. Honestly, there were a few that I didn`t care for but I would guess to say that the poor episodes made up only about .5% Even the episodes I found less entertaining were better than most of our modern sci-fi shows or might I say sci-fi attempts. I can only hope that someone, somewhere will look into creating something that follows the same path. Very little cursing, no nudity, etc. and still the series was magnificant. Thats my 2 cents worth anyway.

Personally speaking: the definitive Star Trek series!

I didn't want to like it. I didn't even want to watch it because I felt it was a rip off of the original series that never got a chance.
But the premise continued to reign, the stories were mostly excellent and the cast of characters was to die for. I think when all those factors come together, a series almost can't miss (unless you're CBS with "Moonlight"!).
The only character I never really warmed to until the movie "First Contact" was Deanna Troi, and then, even she had me on her side. To this day, one of my all time favourite TV characters is "Data", because of the originality of his character and because of the brilliant portrayal by Brent Spiner.
This is one DVD set that gets viewed...a lot!

Necessary, but flawed

Largely mediocre fluff. Not many memorable characters. Absolutely no on-going story arcs (at best, two-part episodes). It explored interesting concepts, but concepts just aren't enough to make a show worthwhile. If you have the time, watch the occasional rerun, but don't bother getting any DVDs, because it's not worth the money.

A really good show I must say.

I have just finished Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is a good show as I had stated. But this show doesn't even compare to Star Trek: Voyager. But this show has it's perks. For say it had Data and it could split into two sections (saucer and battle). TNG was a good show and now unfortunatly it must end. Now however I am starting Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I am really looking foward to it. But alas I shall miss TNG. It was good while it lasted. Just like Voyager I suggest this to anyone with love of Star Trek and fantasy/fiction.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is a great sequel to Star Trek. It has good characters as the original and good stories.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is a great sequel to Star Trek. It has good characters as the original and good stories.
Star Trek: The Next Generation is a science fiction show with a heavy component based on drama. In my opinion, the science fiction elements are just the start engine and the spice used to create a developed stage to show the watcher how human behave in certain situations, like betrayal, love, prejudice, quest for power and many more. Some characters are even more good than the original, like Data, Laforge and Worf, but others don't follow the same steps. It has more important characters as well.
Overall the episode quality is good, but there are some episodes that drop the quality solidly. Fortunately they are just a minor part of the show.
I liked the original, but Star Trek: The Next Generation was the show that fully developed in me my liking for science fiction.
I don't like all the show aspects, but I like them enough to find it a great show.

The original spinoff to the original star trek series. the show that created a cultural phenomenom.

"Space....the final frontier...." When Jean-luc Picard recited those words at the beginning of Stat Trek: The Next Generation, tv was changed forever. Yes, the original series did spawn the five movies and all the spin offs, but TNG made the franchise legendary. With the production of the new star trek movie, TNG kiskstarted what has become a more than 45 year obsession for Trekkies. Previously, Star Trek was merely a cult classic, TNG brought the franchise to the mainstream.

I do have to admit, however, that fist couple of seasons were kind of hokey and lackluster. If anyone remembers, in the pilot, men wore short cheerleader dresses along w/the females. The plots were so-so and the special effects ok. I seem to remember that when Riker grew his beard, the show got really good, my favorite seasons being the last two.

Jean-luc Picard is the captain of the Enterprise. Commander Will Riker is his executive officer, Picard's "number one". Lt Data, an android, is the science officer. The chief engineer is Lt Geordi LaForge, a blind man who can see with assistance of a special visor. Doctor Beverly Crusher is the chief medical officer, who has a past with Picard, and her son Wesley is also on board. The ship's counselor is a telepathic species from Betazed named Deanna Troi. She and Commander Riker used to be involved. The first chief of security was Lt Tasha Yar who was killed off early on, replacing her was Lt Worf, a Klingon who was raised by human parents on earth.

Lt Worf is hands down my favorite Star Trek character. After TNG, he went on to Deep Space Nine. Worf was grumpy but had a deadpan sense of humor. He would make jokes without knowing he was doing it. Great writing for the character. One of his best lines came from Qpid in season four. The crew is trapped on the holodeck recreating Robin Hood. Someone makes a comment about rogin and his merry men and Worf yells "I am not a merry man!" Star Trek TNG started my love of the Star Trek franchise. With the exception the original series, I have seen every single episode of TNG, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. I would give the series higher than 8.5, but the first couple of seasons weren't very good. The last three definitely get 10's, TNG really hit it's stride during that time. It ended well and the movies that followed were great. Definitely give the movies a shot, the special effects are great and the writing is spot on. Very funny when it needs to be and I think we have the one only curse word in Star Trek history. In Generations, as the Enterprise is crashing, Data utters "oh s**t"

Science(!)-fiction at it's very best!

This show has been a constant source of joy to me over the years. A show where I can put on any given episode, and have a great time watching. The great thing about Roddenberrys universe is that it is a positive vision of the future as opposed to the vast number of bleak and depressing visions. A superb cast spearheaded by classical actor Patrick Stewart delivers conflict and drama, and manages to include morality without being overly pedantic.

It is very rare when you can say that a show has changed your perception of life, but this one surely and definitely has.

What starts without vision gains sight but then becomes blind to its own weaknesses.

In 1987, Buck Rogers didn't get turned into a popsicle stick for 500 years, but Paramount wanted to cash in on Star Trek's renewed popularity. But not with the original cast, who were too expensive. Result? A new crew, set some 80 years into the future.

Season 1 starts it all: While showing us a new Enterprise, with its holodeck, improved phaser emitters, separable hull, and so on, it relies more on updated special effects than it does characters, and doesn't really have much of a direction. A prime example is "The Naked Now", a gaudy rewrite of the original Trek's "The Naked Time", which not only wastes an opportunity to prove that rewriting old stories isn't always a waste of time, it also replaces character development with a frat party with everybody acting drunk and horny. Not a good way to show off a new series. Subsequent episodes also bypassed serious drama in favor of cheap frat jokes (e.g. "Justice"). Even the renowned episode "Conspiracy"'s pre-credits teaser has Geordi cracking a joke about sex in zero-gravity. Whatever... how the show survived its first season must be due to basic ratings figures because, let's face it, season 1 was simply too shallow.

Season 2: Geordi and Worf are promoted to positions that do their characters justice, the superlative Guinan is introduced, and Gates McFadden is fired in favor of Diana Muldar's under-appreciated Dr Pulaski. This season has more polish, the actors feel more 'at home' with their characters, and many stories really dig deep into some decent sci-fi concepts. "Elementary Dear Data" putting the holodeck to exceptional and truly ingenious use, "Q Who" introduces the Borg, "Time Squared" does a great job of utilizing a time paradox, "Contagion" deals with computer viruses with aplomb, "The Measure of a Man" deals with Data's status as an individual (and the basic plot premise is revisited several times throughout the series' remaining run)... "Unnatural Selection" showcasing Dr Pulaski's character beautifully (and is an example of re-doing a premise properly; it is a semi-rewrite of TOS's "The Deadly Years" and in every way is genuinely superior).

Season 3 sets the formula perfectly, though bringing back Crusher was arguably a mistake - I'll explain later, though in the premiere story "Evolution", we are reminded Wesley is an annoying little disrespectful prat. I'm amazed mommy didn't hit him...

Season 4 continues the feel of season 3, though the first 7 stories feel like condensed rewrites of "The Best of Both Worlds" as other characters have to live through nightmare situations or epiphanies. "Legacy" onwards shows a decent run of episodes. Sadly, the show's best composer, Ron Jones, was fired because his style did not fit the vision the producers wanted to move the show toward... It does end with the rather good "Redemption"...

So far, we've seen TNG start out with no vision, find itself, and move forward with an impressive amount of dignity and thoughtfulness. However, change is inevitable and this is when that pesky blindness kicks in:

Season 5: The show's new vision would focus less on sci-fi and more on character "depth"; meaning the discussion of modern day society issues, but slanted in favor of one viewpoint rather than a thoughtful, even-handed discussion of both sides. We are instantly treated to "Redemption"'s conclusion, which has Data acting very much UNLIKE Data, and some really bizarre ideas about a tachyon net that even Sela could figure out "Drive around it instead", yet doesn't. "Silicon Avatar" revisits the Crystalline Entity, but the charming concept of talking to it stretches credibility too far and Picard comes across as if he's constipated. "The Masterpiece Society" has Picard deciding to interfere in a balanced society and moans upon failing. The story's moral is the exact opposite of season 3's "The Ensigns of Command" (a bona fide classic)! Another turkey is "Ethics", which involves Worf being injured, wants euthanasia, nobody wants to do him in, and Crusher bickers with another doctor about "acceptable forms of research". Complete with Worf having a redundant brain which is how he can survive. This toddler scribble is not worthy as a script! If "Ethics" is Crusher's defining story, axe her and put Pulaski back, whose attitude in "Unnatural Selection" is far more worthy. "The Outcast", the cheap turkey complete with beaks and claws, seems to say that test tube babies are preferable to two people exchanging bodily fluids in order to make a baby. Whatever. Do I have to mention the disaster entitled "Disaster"? Also, a new character, Ensign Ro, is introduced, and is meant to add tension amongst the crew. I'm not sure she worked, but I liked the addition nonetheless. "I Borg" does the impossible and gets Picard (and Guinan!) to feel sorry for the Borg. And people thought TOS's "The Way to Eden" was tosh?! Mind you, "The Next Phase" has to be a highlight as it takes an interesting look at depth combined with the best sci-fi idea for some time, even if there are obvious questions about how they don't fall through floors and such. Plus, it reminds us the Romulans are a threat... Season 6: Well, the show continues to act and sound like a frog passing gas in a mud puddle. The first run of stories all involve transporter failures as their causes, some stories are followed up on "Ship in a Bottle"... "The Quality of Life" is yet another attempt to cash in on the now trite idea of "When does a machine get treated like a person" and is so heavy-handed in the script that it's not worth watching... Season 7 concludes the show by trying to get back to basics -- not going overboard with pandering, heavy-handed societal parallels and goes back into sci-fi territory. Which is nice. "The Pegasus" does remind us that TNG isn't worn out yet and that character drama CAN work as we discover an interesting slant to Riker's past and a cool technological development too... Even "Force of Nature" (the "55mph speed limit in space" episode) is watchable. It does end with "All Good Things..." which, one minor plot hole aside, ends the series so spectacularly that it should have been what Q was promising at the end about what Picard would discover. (unfortunately, those theatrical adventures weren't nearly as good as promised...)

All in all, as far as digging up old material and continuing it goes, and I'm not often partial to such remakes, TNG is very much worthy. Even if the earliest of episodes are so flimsily written, even the best of ideas ("Datalore", "11001001", "Heart of Glory", "Conspiracy") end up looking silly at times.

While not perfect, this show set the tone for later scifi dramas and, at its best, was superb television.

Maybe it's unfair to judge TNG by today's standards - in many ways, it was the first "modern-day" scifi drama. The shows that followed in its wake may have been better, but that's because they were standing on Next Generation's shoulders.

The show got off to an extremely shaky start with the weak 1st season. The 2nd season was a clear improvement, but it was not until #3 that the show really hit its stride. Each of the final 5 seasons had some classic, "must-see" episodes along with others that provided fun viewing.

The drawback is that nearly each of those 5 seasons had duds - particularly the final one, during which the writers shifted focus to DS9, Voyager, and the upcoming "Generations" movie.

In addition, the writers struggled with character development. With a few exceptions (Picard, Worf and to some degree Data), the characters "froze" in the 3rd season and never really developed. Those used to character- and arc-driven shows may be disappointed.

In addition, the show occasionally relied on alien-of-the-week plots, pseudo-scientific technobabble or preachy "message" shows. Some people like those characteristics; I do not.

Overall a very worthy viewing experience, and recommended. But I think that Deep Space Nine was overall a better show.

a journey through space with lots of new races and planets visited

this is a good installment to the star trek series. although it got better after this. individually the episodes are good but the fact it goes from planet to planet there isn't much focus on individually characters. it has the best 2 part episode of all the star trek series with best of both worlds, possibly the only season ending 2 parter that gets better in the second part. all this needed was a more detailed plot running throughout the background of these episodes. like DS9 had with the war and voyagers journey home. not a bad series but not the best

Could it get any better?

Widely regarded as the best Star Trek has to offer Star Trek: The Next Generation is as good as it gets in the world of Trek, and it gets really good. TNG consistently shelled out good stories. You really got to know the crew and everyone has their favorites. Except Wesley Crusher, no one likes him. Through its many seasons you traveled to distant worlds and discovered new things, while fending off the likes of the Borg and Romulans. Acting was good, with the likes of Patrick Stewart commanding the screen. Though TNG constantly presented the moral issues, it never stayed on them too long, so it wasn't too much of a love fest. Some don't like TNG, but most see it as the best.

Important:
You must only upload images which you have created yourself or that you are expressly authorised or licensed to upload. By clicking "Publish", you are confirming that the image fully complies with TV.com’s Terms of Use and that you own all rights to the image or have authorization to upload it.

Please read the following before uploading

Do not upload anything which you do not own or are fully licensed to upload. The images should not contain any sexually explicit content, race hatred material or other offensive symbols or images. Remember: Abuse of the TV.com image system may result in you being banned from uploading images or from the entire site – so, play nice and respect the rules!